Fast online conveyancing - How long will the conveyancing process take?

Answering exactly how long conveyancing will take is virtually impossible. Indeed, each property will have its own unique set of issues and of course different buyers and sellers. As a result your conveyancing lawyer will struggle to accurately predict how long the conveyancing process will take for you.

I’d be wary of any conveyancer guaranteeing fast completion times as this simply isn’t possible. Instead ask the average time it takes for them to complete a conveyancing transaction and how willing they are to work towards a speedy completion. Any quality conveyancing lawyer will be more than happy to work to your deadlines and will be honest at the earliest possible date if they aren’t feasible. Remember some conveyancers are all too keen to promise the world if they think it means they will get you to instruct!

How long does conveyancing take on average?

Most practitioners would estimate that a house purchase will take between 8-12 weeks to complete from the point a conveyancing lawyer is instructed.

This amount of time decreases if the transaction involves:

A cash buyer – dealing with mortgage lenders can add a significant amount of time onto the conveyancing transaction. In order to approve your mortgage offer the lender must complete credit checks, obtain references and then complete a survey and valuation of the property. This can end up taking several weeks!

No chain – a chain is a line of buyers and sellers all involved in linked transactions. Conveyancing can only move as fast as the weakest link. Therefore, if one person in the chain is particularly slow or if there’s a serious problem with one transaction this will hold everyone else up. As a result a chain-free conveyancing transaction will usually move a lot faster.

Of course even if you are in the ideal situation for speedy conveyancing you still have to allow for the time taken for your conveyancing lawyer to receive and evaluate searches (water and drainage, local authority etc.) and how fast the seller’s lawyer can produce contracts and reply to any questions or queries.

How can I speed up the conveyancing process?

There are particular steps you can take to speed up the conveyancing process:

Choose your conveyancing lawyer wisely

If you need a fast conveyancing service then you probably shouldn’t skimp on cost. Cheap conveyancers are notoriously slow as they juggle high caseloads and fail to push the conveyancing process along.

Instead opt for a personal conveyancing lawyer who is committed to providing the highest level of customer service and comes highly recommended. These solicitors are far more likely to try and meet your demands, be proactive and keep you up to date with what is happening.

Choose a law firm which provides an online conveyancing service

It is surprising that in this digital age how few solicitors operate online (even by email)! Make sure you choose a conveyancer who will send and receive most of the paperwork over the web. This will save you precious time by not having to wait for ‘snail mail’.

These solicitors are also more likely to use email to contact others involved in the conveyancing transaction, resulting in faster responses to questions. Yes – even amongst themselves solicitors often communicate by letters! Crazy!

Be proactive

A portion of the conveyancing paperwork will need to be completed by you personally and often your conveyancing lawyer will be unable to proceed with your case until this is received. Replying to their questions and filling in paperwork as fast as you can all help to keep things moving as fast as possible. You may not be unable to control what is happening in the rest of the chain, but you can avoid being the ‘weakest link’.

How can In-Deed Conveyancing help?

At In-Deed we combine a dedicated conveyancing lawyer with the a secure online service to help make your conveyancing fast. Our lawyers will always endeavour to meet your deadlines and we do not charge extra if you need a fast conveyance. To find out how much your conveyancing will cost with In-Deed get an instant conveyancing quote